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Look Out For The Hackensaw Boys!

I've seen some people make fools of themselves in a most delightful way. We play at ridiculous tempos, screaming and hollering, seemingly doing musically questionable, possibly atrocious things by pop culture standards, but if you're there and involved with it there's raw excitement. You can't package that.

-Jesse Fiske

"For a while there we did tame ourselves a little bit but in recent years it's kinda gone back to where we started," observes Fiske. "That's exciting that the original reason it was exciting is still exciting. Evolving is great, and I definitely want in my lifetime to pursue music in various forms, but I wouldn't want to lose what we have just for the sake of artistry. Art is great and creation is great and experimentation is great but you don't want to lose the original inspiration."

Hackensaw Boys

"We're on a trajectory that just keeps coming. The only time anybody ever has a plan for these sorts of things is in retrospect on VH1," says Bullington. "Most of the time we're concentrating on making the music as good as possible because at some point, if you want to keep doing it, this is your job. Really, the strategizing we leave to the managers, booking agents and record labels and just trust they know what they're doing. At the end of the day, all you can do is try to put on the best show or write the best song or get the best recording you can. The idea that we have a plan anymore is kinda silly [laughs,]."

Their instinctive spontaneity jumps out at you on their latest release from the title right into the opening cut, which speeds along like the locomotive on the cover.

"[The title] has really grown on us," Bullington says. "We road tested it a little bit. We'd shout, 'Look out!' at the audience every now and then to see what the reaction was, and it was usually pretty positive. Sometimes it was really apprehensive because they didn't know why we were shouting, 'Look out!' [laughs]."

Some songs on Look Out! will be familiar to people who've seen them perform.

"It was, 'Well, we've been playing that one for a while. Let's throw it against the wall and see if it sticks.' Or make it stick, as the case may be," says Bullington. "It's about half that had been around for a while and half that came to life in the year leading up to the album. A good example of that is 'Oh, Girl,' which Jesse and Ward wrote. That's something they came up with while we were busking in Belgium. Girls kept walking by so they started yelling that. In typical Hackensaw fashion, the next thing you have to write a song, write a bridge, record it, go back and re-record the harmonies because they're all fucked up."

Fiske jumps in, "I had this little guitar in my hands and these three pretty girls walked by and I sang the chorus ["Oh, girl are you avoiding me"] and Ward was like, 'That's it!' He took it and wrote a cool bunch of lyrics. It's the same thing with 'Look Out Dog, Slow Down Train.' It's an old-time song with some old-time fiddle and off-the-cuff lyrics."

While total pros with great instrumental skill and pure, clean voices, the Hackensaws seem to live by that off-the-cuff ethos. They're rarely thrown off by a flub and readily embrace surprises as they play.

Hackensaw Boys by Aaron Farrington

"If you want to win the race and you trip, you can't start yelling at the people around you. You gotta get up as quick as you can and keep running," says Fiske. "We've certainly had our moments where the mistakes have been more of a downer than others, but right now we're in a good place where no one has a chalkboard with notches on it. You just try to keep entertaining. Entertainment is a whole different thing compared to the music. It's a completely different facet of a touring band. I definitely don't know much about it but I know you can't just rely on the music or just rely on the entertainment. You've got two options to work out. The great thing about live music is the audience is with you. They're hanging out with you and you're the host of the party. All eyes are on you, and if you make a mistake and laugh they'll laugh, too."

"I've been to a couple gigantic pavilion Budweiser Presents type shows with big famous rock bands," continues Fiske. "It sounds awesome, looks great, there's entertainment happening but it's just so goddamn perfect. It sounds just like the record except I gotta stand really far away. I've heard reports of Sheryl Crow's shows where you can hear the Auto Tune on her voice kick in. Ah, man. Just because you can buy the gear that makes it work doesn't mean you should be doing it, especially for $40 dollars a ticket. If there's a guy up there singing and it's honest and something he truly feels, even if it's terrible and I hate the song, at least I can walk away thinking he gave it everything he had."

One never doubts the Hackensaw Boys are giving you everything they have in them. It's refreshing in a world of half measures and empty talk. They have their sights on the right things and it always comes through in their music.

We offer the last word to Bullington, who again penned these brief, apt liner notes for the current album.

Look Out for barking dogs and braking trains – for drinks from the rail – for the fiddle bow flying past your nose – for the party after the show – for tourists – for the best barbecue in town – for bicyclists – for each other and everyone (especially when the big rain comes) – for cheap thrills – for the fire next door – for the joy of living expressed in the extreme tempo at which most of this album will careen from your speakers.

Thanks for the great article, Dennis. I first saw this band a number of years ago when I was up in North Beach for Jazz on Grant, the opening night of the North Beach Jazz Festival. my friend Dino told me I had to get over to the North Star bar (coowned by Mark Jennings who used to run Mick's Lounge) to see this band. They were totally outrageous. super high energy, trading off instruments. Absolutely wonderful. it turned out they were playing on a stadium tour w/ multiple bands, they'd play in between sets out in the crowd. I had the chance to see them again in Dec 2005 i think it was at The Warfield when they opened for Trey Anastasio. Get out to see this band live, their CDs are very good too.

brilliANT! finally someone talking about one of the most underappreciated bands on music (along with AOD and Grand Ole PARTY). I saw these guys at Bonnaroo and here in austin at antones. Amazing! Though not as good as YMSB or OCMS these guys are definately one of the best bluegrass/folk/acoustic bands ever!

One of the best written articles on an underappreciated band that I've read here in a while - great job. For a great discussion on exactly what "old time" is, check out mandolin cafe's message board. Those guys will break it down while completely disagreeing with each other. It's hilarious and a good example for how a message/comment board can work. If you like the music played by The Hackensaws or Old Crow, the discussion over there will lead you back to the beginning of that sound.

"not as 'good' as YMSB" (?) Not a very apt comparison. Or choice of descriptor. There's a reason they call it Colorado bluegrass.

I do enjoy this band a lot. HAvent seen them since RRE tour in early 06, do they still play the same ole CANNONBALL each show? Tho i enjoyed them a lot, they seemed to get redundant. I hope they have progressed since, cuz theyre potentially very interesting and fun.

love these guys. catch them every time in town which luckily two/three x's a year. always make sure i bring a designated driver cuz i always know they will bring it. that with my fav whiskey ='s drunkin spinnin hoedown with all the lovely hackensaw dancers!

I agree with Teabagger. The Hackensaw Boys are great. But they do lack something without Shiner. He had some attitude and an excellent voice. They don't even play some of their great songs anymore because Shiner used to sing them. I've asked a couple of the boys what happened to him, but they never give a straight answer. Does anyone know what happened to Shiner? Does he have his own band? Just curious.

Shiner left the band amicably as far as I can tell. He's still making music but more focused on his family and home life. Touring was taking a big toll on him and the other Hackensaws didn't want to slow their momentum. That's the sum total of the situation as I gather it from my conversations with them. Like some of you, I do miss the quiet Shiner tunes like "Sun's Work Undone" and "Alabama Shamrock" but those were always a battle with the bar crowds they usually play to.

I love the Hackensaw Boys, they rock. I saw them with Railroad Earth at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ. First off needless to say Hackensaw Boys put on a great show, but when Railroad went to take a break, Hackensaw Boys came out in to the crowd and played outside near this out doors bar. It was awesome. I was a lucky one and was right next to them. I remember some really drunk hawaiin was pounding on the Cello. HAHAH, good times. Hacensaw Boys are chill, and awesome music!

Saw em a few weeks ago. They put on the best show iv'e ever witnessed and ive seen keller, moe, YMSB...etc It was a small venue on a monday, I had been a fan of the band for about a year, but was still skeptical of the turnout. The place was packed, everyone was dancing. They played most of my favorites, and stayed away from some of their slower stuff. The show progressed from people tapping their feet to jumping on tables to get a better view and dance Interactive show, the band was talking to the crowd. They didn't just run through the songs and leave. They were spontanious, asking the audience what they want to hear. Did their unplugged session and some other routines that I won't spoil. Then they hung around the bar talking to fans, and drinking brews. Can't wait for the next show